Does your Putter need a Diet? Part 2

Last week we started a discussion about how the weight of your putter can influence your stroke. As we discuss weight there are two things to consider.  First, is the overall weight of the putter. This is usually measured in grams and can range from 500 to 700 grams. The second is how the weight is distributed across the putter. Traditionally, this has been expressed as swing weight. Over the past couple of years, I have been looking for a more accurate description. We have an in-house procedure that in its basic form tells us if the putter is head heavy or grip heavy. As putter design has evolved and more options have been provided for all components, this creates a new set of variables to consider as you look for the tool to match the task. The problems to consider in simple terms are more weight or less weight and where do you put it.

Here is an example I see quite often.  A top-level player, coached by one of my clients, was fit by a manufacturer at their facility. She was fit in the recommended model of putter, at a length and lie. When the player was asked her preference pertaining to weight the reply was, “I prefer heavy”. The fitter put more weight where it was easiest to add the weight, all in the putter head. The putter spec’d at swing weight D-8.5 and an overall weight of 565 grams at 34 inches. When you look at the stats alone there would be no reason for alarm. A little heavier than standard swing weight and total weight, but that was the player’s preference.

Now let’s talk about issues we see with this player. The primary complaint was a right miss and a tendency to leave the ball short. At impact, the putter is delofted an average of 3+° at impact with a static measurement of 3° of putter loft. The illustration below is what we see on Capto. I do not have permission to share the player’s personal information, so I have cut the bottom of the screen image. First, we know from years of looking at reports combined with player interviews that forward shaft lean is often an anti-pull compensation. Next, without getting too deep in the weeds about personal coaching preferences concerning launch angle and the loft / putter rise angle combination as it pertains to roll, I can suggest without any reservation, when you get a negative loft angle at impact, regardless of rise angle, you run into problems. We have discussed this in previous posts at https://bargolfinstruction.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-diagram-above-is-meant-to-depict.html .

In this case it is a problem, not because it happens every time but because it happens randomly, which is worse. Most putts for this player are launched around 1 degree or less, and a sense of feel is developed based on that launch condition. But in this case, there is a tendency to deloft more often than add loft and those putts that launch into the ground don’t roll out the same. This changes the feel for speed and creates doubt during the round. If 2.5 mph rolls the ball 10 feet at a 1° launch. That is our expectation. But a -1° degree launch is unpredictable, but more likely dependent on ground conditions. Cruising through the round and things are going well, then drive one into the turf and get an unexpected result. Now the second-guessing takes hold and our rhythm and confidence is in doubt. The first Capto screen capture shows the putter coming into the ball and you can see the evidence of the putter lean. From a putter perspective we must ask if by driving the ball into the ground we bring friction into play early and at a higher level than if we had launched the ball clean. Does this launch condition and increased friction impact the ball speed?  
The next example is the same player, same stroke. In this case we are looking at the acceleration profile of the putter stroke and the speed the acceleration creates. In this graph the green line represents a pendulum movement of the putter. The yellow line is the point in the stroke where the putter transitions from backswing to forward swing. The purple line is the bottom point in the arc.

In the interview with Tony Wright https://gameimprovementgolf.com/149-putter-weighting-101-bruce-rearick-interview/ I mentioned the analogy of a huge tanker. I think that best describes what we see in a pendulum acceleration profile. The boat/putter starts in one direction with the hammer down. As it gets closer to its end it reverses the engines, but momentum carries it in the same direction until you reach the end of the backswing. Therefore, you see the acceleration in the opposite direction even while the boat/putter moves to the end of the backswing. Then as it comes forward the initial acceleration or effort peaks and a combination of gravity and momentum takes it to impact. In our player’s profile we see no effort in the backswing, very little effort in the forward swing until about halfway to impact. The assumption is this is a function of control. The player controls the effort all the way through the stroke, then hammers the putter as if she is trying to beat a yellow caution light.

Why does this happen? Slow back and delofted has been a common teaching method. But in this case if you ask if it is intentional the answer is no. My contention is this is a reaction to a putter that is too heavy. The head lags as the putter comes forward. Momentum combined with effort carries the putter to the ball at an increasing rate. Yet, notice how the effort falls off dramatically at impact while the speed shown below does not. If the effort was maintained the speed increase would be more dramatic and the ball would go miles past the hole. What you can’t see from these graphs is the slight tendency to recoil at the end of the follow through. For this player the solution is a work in progress. Not because of a lack of a plan, but because brand loyalty inhibits our options. Another story for another day.

If you have any questions about the graph or using Capto feel free to contact me. I will be glad to explain how I use it and my interpretation of the data.